Bone marrow lesions predict progression of cartilage defects and loss of cartilage volume in healthy middle-aged adults without knee pain over 2 yrs

Abstract

These data suggest that BMLs are associated with change in knee cartilage over 2 yrs in asymptomatic subjects. Increased progression of cartilage defects is seen with increasing size of BMLs. It will be important to determine in future studies whether BMLs directly cause change in cartilage over 2 yrs, or act as a marker of another factor that facilitates these changes.